匹克球——流行运动新宠

山西 张艳峰

主题语境：体育运动 篇幅：370词 建议用时：7分钟

1Pickleball is one of the hottest trends in sports and popular culture.The International Pickleball Federation,with 78 member countries and counting,is working to make sure pickleball will be part of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

2Pickleball takes components from tennis,badminton and table tennis.It's played on a badminton-sized court with a slightly lowered tennis net,using a square bat and a small perforated(有孔的)plastic ball that's similar in size to a tennis ball,but much lighter.Since the lighter ball doesn't bounce as much,it's easier to get hits going.

3Unlike tennis,you can score only when it's your turn to serve.The goal is to keep the ball in the air,and if your opponent (called the receiver) fails to return the ball over the net,either from the serve or in a rally,you get the point.Be sure to hit with enough force or you'll end up with a falafel—pickleball slang (俚语) for a shot that falls short of the net.Matches can be played in doubles or singles,and games are played to 11 points (and must be won by a difference of at least 2 points).Lose with a score of 11-0 and you've been “pickled”!

4Part of the appeal is that pickleball is easy to learn and you don't have to be super athletic to pick it up.Fans range from kids to seniors,with those aged 18 to 34 making up the fastest-growing player group.

5Playing the game can improve your hand-eye coordination and increase reaction time.And because you can vary the intensity,pickleball suits serious athletes and weekend warriors in a similar way.It's a great aerobic (有氧的) workout,and because it's a lowimpact sport,it's easy on your joints.

6You don't need to join a league or have a pickleball court to get in on the action.Any smooth surface will work,as long as you have a net,a ball and a bat.People who are really into the sport can join tournaments at various levels.The first World Pickleball Games was held at the Austin Pickle Ranch in Austin,Texas.By 2030,pickleball is expected to have as many as 40 million players worldwide.

Reading

Check

Inference

1.What's the purpose of the text?

A.To show how popular pickleball is.

B.To tell readers the rules of pickleball.

C.To introduce a kind of sport—pickleball.

D.To encourage readers to play pickleball.

Inference

2.Why is pickleball more and more popular?

A.It is hottest in sports and popular culture.

B.It is well-received in those aged between 18 and 34.

C.It is well-known for its aerobic workout.

D.It is easy to learn and has low requirements.

Vocabulary

3.What does the underlined word “pickled” mean in paragraph 3?

A.In a surprised state.

B.In a confident mind.

C.In a difficult situation.

D.In a friendly atmosphere.

Detail

4.What do you need to do to play pickleball?

A.Take part in a league.

B.Have a pickleball court.

C.Have a net,a ball and a bat.

D.Get equipment and a place.

Language

Study

Ⅰ.Difficult sentence in the text

It's played on a badminton-sized court with a slightly lowered tennis net,using a square bat and a small perforated plastic ball that's similar in size to a tennis ball,but much lighter.匹克球是用方形球拍和有孔的塑料球在羽毛球场大小的场地上进行的，场地用的是稍低的网球网，塑料球与网球差不多大，但是却轻得多。

【点石成金】本句中，on a badminton-sized court with a slightly lowered tennis net 是介词短语作地点状语；using a square bat and a small perforated plastic ball 是现在分词短语作方式状语；that's similar in size to a tennis ball,but much lighter是定语从句，修饰ball。

Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks with the words and phrases in the box in proper forms.

1.Where did you ________ your English?

2.I ________ to see why you find it so amusing.

3.The jobs ________ advertising sales to engineering.

4.The German team ________ a combined total of 652 points.

5.Smoking can ________ the risk of developing heart disease.

6.The prices of fish ________ according to market conditions.

7.His powerful ________ was too much for defending the champion.

8.People also more easily ________ headaches or sore eyes while reading e-books.